Fiber Art Class

Stitch Shop

Fiber Arts Facebook page 

Fiber Art Class at "Stitch Shop" is the 2nd Tuesday of each month.  We have had so much fun.  We have dyed" the parfait  way" with great success and blue hands.  Don't forget to wear your gloves.  ;')  We also discover and played with lutrador.  We painted it, stamped, and sewed it.  I made a treasure chest.  We also learned how to make our own ribbons with yarns, pieces of fabric & threads. 

Rainbow's End Quilt Shop

The above link is from Happy Cottage Quilter's blogspot. Here is a blog of a wonderful Florida shop, Rainbow's End,  with fabulous pictures, which is located near Clearwater/Tampa Florida.  I visit it every February and look forward to soaking up the delicious colors.  It is such a nice change from drab grey Toledo, Ohio weather.  Pinks, Rose, Limes, Oranges, Reds, Purples, Blues and Greens.  My favorite colors.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rainbows-End-Quilt-Shoppe/102134419823310  Here is the shops facebook page.  Stop in to see this eye candy of a shop!  

Soup, Don't like soup-NO soup for you.

I have started to make soup every Sunday.  What joy it has been.  The 1st soup was a black bean and ham soup.  It was gone after 4 days and I didn't even get to take some to my 87 year old mother.  The picture about is here when she was about late 30's, early 40's.  We were camping up North in Michigan with my Aunt Helen and Uncle Charles.  Such great memories were made.  Ok back to the soup-

My father always made the soup in our home.  He was notorious for putting everything and the kitchen sink in the soup.  But I always loved it.  He is pictured here with some of his sisters and brothers.  Grandma Smith (without birth control of course) had over 20 births. She out lived 2 husbands and is pictured on the right with the flower corsage. My father is right behind her.  Only two are left, Aunt Imogine, poised next to grandma and my Uncle Dave, the shortest guy in back.  I think my dad learned to cook and stretched food from living through the depression with so many brothers and sisters in a two bedroom, 1 bath house.  I have inherited this great gift for stretching my food budget.
Soup is the easiest item to make,  and usually you have all the ingredients for it in your stocked cupboard.  It warms the soul, fills you up, and is cheap to make. It also makes your home smell delicious.  Whip up a salad, and some Bisquick biscuits and you have a meal.  So Satisfying! Last week I put together Cream of Cauliflower soup with bacon on top.  Yum!  This week I made Split Pea with Barley and fresh vegetables and herbs in a chicken stock. So Good and belly warm.
Ingredients: split pea, barley, carrots, celery, leeks, onions, 1 box of Chicken Stock with out salt or MSG. 3 cups water, Chicken Bouillon to taste, fresh parsley, sage and tarragon from my kitchen herb garden.  
I cook like I quilt, just throw it all in and see the results,  Be surprised!  

Continuing with the new me.

I am so excited.  Weekly, on Sunday, I am making homemade soup.  Two weeks ago, Black Bean and Ham, This week, Creamy Cauliflower and Leeks with bacon on top and this sunday, Onion Soup with red, white, scallions, onions with rye bread and cheese on top.  MMMM.  I will post pictures this week and the receipt.        My favorite is the Creamy Cauliflower because it tasted like the Potato and sausage soup at Olive Garden.  I am looking at getting a gas stove, now I have a electric which I am still trying to get use to since we moved into the new house. I do like the new to me, convection oven.  and the size of it.  4 racks for cooking cookies.  yeah, don't need a stinking double oven.  I have a warming drawer too. Loved that at Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Helped alot.
I can't decided what to do with my kitchen.  It is not exactly how I want it.  I have been wanting a darker cherry wood and more contempory kitchen to my look but this kitchen has black granite counter tops, which I hate, but will live with.  So I am researching changing out my doors with other ones.  do you have any ideas.

New year and I think it is time for a new me!

I know, I know, yeah the old new year's eve changes, go for a few weeks and then they crumble.  I hope that doesn't happen.  But a small idea is growing inside of me.  Combining fiber arts, quilting, my love of vintage and creativity.  I am checking out the antique mall tomorrow and see what's happening or not happening.  I have been wanting vintage children's illustrations to put on my grandchildren's bedroom wall, some vintage fabric to work with &  maybe a fairy or two. I have so much stuff to get rid of, most of it is Helen's, my deceased special friend and neighbor, but it is time to get it into a loving home. Not that I don't still love it, but I just don't know what to do with it.  So will be sold on Etsy, some on Ebay.  It is time to go back to work.